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Although spring is normally when awareness of ticks is high — the tick season itself is from April through September. And it has been reported to be a very bad tick year.

Some advice in avoiding ticks is to tuck your pant legs into your socks or boots as well as your shirt into your pants which can help keep ticks on the outside of your clothing where they are more easily spotted.

One tick-transmitted disease is Lyme Disease. Oregon Journalist and Public Lands Consultant Andy Rieber shares some of the symptoms — it is a disease that she lives with —

Rieber: “Lyme Disease if you catch it really early is quite straight forward to treat. If you catch it early, most people can get treated. Lyme Disease is completely eradicated and they never have any other issues with it. If the Lyme Disease gets away and has a chance to really establish itself in the body then Lyme Disease can become a chronic condition. People should be aware of how serious this is. Lyme Disease can cause complications, it can kill, that can permanent cripple, that can cause permanent neurological damage and issues; and otherwise very, very, seriously impair a person’s ability to live, function, take care of themselves, have a family, have a job. It is extremely debilitating — so this is something that people need to take very seriously.”

The symptoms of Lyme Disease are very similar to flu — a fever, joint pain an achy feeling, and headache.